Improvement in treadles for sewing-machines



2 Sheet s-Sheet l.

Patented Jan.4, 1876.

INVENTUFi ,4 fiw ay NJ'ETERS, PHOTO LITHOGRAPHEE WASHINGTON. 0.

T. F. woonsmnen. TREADLE FOR SEWING-MACHINE;

WITNEEEE s- Z Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. F. WOODBRIDGE. TREADLE FOR SEWING'MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 4. 1876.

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\INVENTDHT J04 LAW,

N.PETERS, PHOTO-LJTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D O.

- Figs. 3, 4, 5 are detail views of the same, shown UNITED? S'I'ATES PTE 'r QF THEODORE F. WOODBRIDGE, on MENDOTA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT m -"l'READLES FOR SEWlNG MACHINES;

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [71,904, datedJanuary 4, 1876; application filed April 14, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE F. W001)- BRIDGE, of Mendota, in the countyof La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Treadles and Power for Sewing-Machines; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art'to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved treadle and power attachment forsewing-machines; and it consists in a shell, that is divided by apartition in the center, and which has a sleeve formed upon one end toreceive the fly-wheel, so that when the shell is made to revolve by theclutches, placed in each end, the wheel will revolve with it. Theclutches are operated, alternately, by means of caps that close the endsof the shell, which caps are each provided with two arms, to which theupper ends of the straps are fastened, and tenons to catch in theclutches and operate them.

Heretofore clutches have been employed for this purpose; but they havenot been provided with arms for the double purpose of giving greaterleverage to the operator, and to enable them to move the clutches agreater distance at each movement of the treadle. Neither have thestraps been attached to the clutches, as here shown.

The accompanying drawings represent my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the same.

in detached positions.

00 represents the rod or pivot, upon which the fly-wheel b and the motor0 are placed, which rod or pivot is secured to one of the legs in theusual manner. The fly-wheel b is secured to a sleeve, 3, that projectsout from the side of the shell 1, so that when the shell is made torevolve it will carrythe wheel with it. The motor 0 consists of twofrictionclutches, d, that are placed in each end of the shell 1, andwhich are separated from each other by the partition 0. These clutchesconsist of flat plates that have the inclined recesses 9 cut in theiredges to receive the elongated friction-rollers h, and which have thesquare recesses 43 sunk into their outer sides. The recesses g are ofsuch a depth at their deeper ends that the rollers h, when at theseends, allow the clutches freely to move backward within the shell but assoon as the motion is reversed these rollers are forced upward towardthe more shallow ends, where they bind against the inside of the shell,and then as they are drawn forward they draw the shell forward withthem. The open ends of the shell are closed by the caps j, which havesquare-shaped tenons or I projections 2 on their inner sides to fit inthe recesses i in the clutches. Each one of the caps has the long arms Iprojecting from opposite sides, to which the four straps m are attached,and by means of which the two clutches are connected with the twoindependently-moving treadles n. The straps of each treadle are made tocross each other, so that one strap will be attached to the arm of oneclutch, and the other to an arm of the other, so that an alternatingforward motion will be given to each clutch.

The inner cap j has a sleeve, 0, formed upon its outer side, over whichthe hub of the fly-wheel passes, and to which the wheel is secured bymeans of a set-screw.

, By means of the arm I a great leverage is obtained upon the clutches,by means of which the machine can be operated with an ease never beforeobtained.

I am aware that straps have been attached directly to the peripheries ofclutches for the purpose of operating them but in these cases the strapshave little or no leverage, and the consequence is that it is just asdifficult to operate the machine as without them.

I am aware that a projection has been attached to one side of theclutches, so as to give the straps a slight leverage, and this Idisclaim.

In my device the arms form part of the clutches themselves, and extendout beyond them to such a distance that the straps nowhere come incontact with the clutches.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In treadles and power forsewing-machines,

in which the main shaft is operated by means of friction-clutches andstraps or rode, the shell 1, constructed with sleeve 3, having apartition, 0, and recess on each side thereof in combination with theclutches d,'recessed In testimony that claim the foregoing I e havehereunto set my hand this 5th day of April, 1875.

THEODORE F. WOODBRIDGE.

at i, and arranged toroperate with the. fric tion-rollers and'with capsj; having arms 1 connected with straps m m, all substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

Witnesses:

CLEMENT T. GUY,

ALBERT A. BLACK.

